Despite its origin in Western psychiatry,
neurasthenia has become a popular concept in Chinese
folk medicine, referring to a variety of somatic and psychological symptoms. Review of Chinese medicinal materials and
patent medicines shows that
neurasthenia is associated more often with
somatic symptoms in tonic type medicine and with psychological and psychosomatic symptoms in
sedative and tranquilizer type medicine. Popular Chinese books on
neurasthenia suggest that causes might be attributed to lifestyle, psychological factors, and health problems. Recommendations on treatment emphasize self-help approaches through changing lifestyle, examining attitudes, tonic care, and relaxation. As a broad term used loosely by professionals and the lay public in Hong Kong,
neurasthenia serves the important function of destigmatizing
psychiatric disorders. Psychosexual problems may also be conveyed discreetly through somatic presentation. The indigenization of
neurasthenia exemplifies how an originally Western concept acquires cultural meaning. Implications of illness conceptualization and the medical paradigm are discussed.